Guy enjoying time out after hectic summer

There are 13 days to go before Pompey’s players return for pre-season duty.

A hectic start to the summer ensured the vast bulk of the Blues’ close-season recruitment has already been carried out.

A total of 12 of those players signed long-term deals during a chaotic period before Whittingham departed on holiday to Majorca last month.

His return this week coincided with Johnny Ertl following suit, boosting Pompey’s first-team squad to 16.

Having long studied the list of those players whose contracts expire this summer, Whittingham’s policy was to beat others to the bargains.

Still, a few spots remain, with the likes of Ricky Holmes and Shaun Cooper currently being looked at.

Otherwise, the Pompey boss’ work is nearly done.

Now he aims to wind down until his new-look squad arrive for pre-season testing on Thursday, June 27.

Whittingham said: ‘What I am going to do now is relax, have days at home. You know at the start of pre-season it doesn’t stop until whenever the season finishes next year.

‘So it’s important you have this time to yourself and just relax a little bit.

‘You are constantly in touch with people but it doesn’t mean you have to go in every day and work at your desk.

‘There are a few little things that need sorting out and a few meetings to be had but nothing major.

‘That was the importance of doing it all before I went on the holiday. That is why we did it.

‘We don’t really need many players now, I’m very happy with how it has gone.

‘The majority of the work is now done.’

Although the players are back on June 27, full training will not begin until Monday, July 1.

Instead, those first two days will be spent assessing the players’ fitness levels through a variety of tests.

Then it will be on to their new training home at the University of Portsmouth’s Langstone Campus, which is in the process of being signed off.

The first friendly is at the Hawks on Tuesday, July 9.